These guidelines make recommendations regarding the management
of individuals with a body mass index greater than 25.0 kg/m2
and cover all age groups, from children to the elderly, as well as various
patient subsets. A range of measures to yield health benefits are set out,
including healthy eating plans, increased physical activity, and behavioral
modifications to help patients to manage obesity. In addition, recommendations
are made on the use of bariatric surgery and the new antiobesity drugs.
Throughout the process of developing the recommendations, every attempt was
made to ensure use of a rigorous, evidence-based approach. The guidelines
are promoted by the Italian Society of Obesity (SIO) and were formulated in
compliance with a prespecified process overseen by a steering committee. They
are intended for use by a wide range of clinicians, including general
practitioners, primary health care nurses, and primary health care
professionals, and will hopefully prove of value in combating the obesity
epidemic not only in Italy but across Europe and elsewhere in the world.

Paolo Sbraccia, M.D, Ph.D. is Full Professor of Internal Medicine in the Department of Systems Medicine of the University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Chief of the Internal Medicine Unit and Obesity Center (EASO accredited Collaborating Centre for Obesity Management) at the University Hospital Policlinico Tor Vergata, Director of the Specialization School in Internal Medicine, and Chairman of the Undergraduate Course in Dietetics.

He was (2006-2010) member of the Board of Directors of the Italian Diabetes Society (SID) and he is now President of the Italian Society of Obesity (S.I.O.).

In 2011, on behalf of SIO, he coordinated the Steering Committee for the Italian Guidelines for the Management of Obesity.

He is also member of the “Scientific Advisory Group for Diabetes and Endocrinology” of EMA (London). In 2009 he was appointed by the Ministery of Health member of the Committee for the diagnostic and therapeutic appropriateness for Obesity and Diabetes.

He is member of the Editorial Board of “Eating and weight disorders” and “Internal and Emergency Medicine” and ad hoc reviewer of various scientific journals (Diabetologia; Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews; Journal of Endocrinological Investigation; European Journal of Endocrinology, Clinical Endocrinology, Aging, PLoS One, Nutrition Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases). He is also Co-Director of the official Journal of the Italian Diabetes Society “Il Diabete”.

He is member of the following learned societies: Italian Society for the study of Obesity (SIO), Italian Diabetes Society (SID), Italian Endocrine Society (SIE), Italian Society of Internal Medicine (SIMI), Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis (SISA), European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO), European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), American Diabetes Association (ADA), The Endocrine Society, International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO).